On Special Education–Extracurricular Activities

Originally published January 20, 2019

I realize that my physical body is stronger than many others with special needs. It is a blessing that I don’t take for granted. I love to run and hike and try new adventures. Being outside does wonders for my brain and decreases my anxiety by about a thousand percent. I suspect that is not unique to me. Even if I couldn’t run, I would want to be outside as much as possible. When I am indoors at school, the sounds are really amplified and hard to block out. The fluorescent lights hum and have subtle waves in the lighting that is distracting. The air conditioner or heater is usually too cold or too hot.

Classrooms are honestly not the best learning environment, at least for me. In my school, we would be outside as much as possible. Ideal would be an outside patio with some climate control but still open to the fresh air and natural light. We would spend an hour each day doing some sort of outdoor activity where we get our bodies moving. That would look different for different kids based on their physical abilities. I would think that if I were unable to walk that being pushed around the track would still feel great and I would want to do that every day. Everybody can move their body somehow, even if someone is doing it for you. The mind needs that sensory input, I believe, to be at its best.